Fuel conditioning apparatus for internal combustion engines



Sept. 8, 1937. L. LANGHAA'R 2,094,272

FUEL counxnoume APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Aug. 10, 1954 Patented Sept. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES FUEL ooNnrrronmo APPARATUS FOR IN TERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Louis Langhaar, Allentown; Pa. Application August 10, 1934, Serial No. 739,251

13 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for regulating the supply of air to be mixed with the fuel which is supplied to an internal combustion engine, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide means for supplying an auxiliary quantity of air to the fuel mixture to properly condition such mixture to comply with various re-' mechanism and'at other times will be automatic in its action, depending upon the varyingv conditions to which the engine is subjected during running operations. 1 A

One form of a device embodying my-invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others; may be ing, in which Figure l is a view in side elevation, partially in section, of an apparatus embodying my invention. A

Figure 2 is aview in side elevation of a modified arrangement of my improved apparatus.

Figure 3 is a similar view of still another modification. A

Figure 4 is a similar view of still another modification, showing of the diluting valve being omitted.

Figure 5 is a detail view in section illustrating still another modification, showing of the metering valve being omitted.

Figure 6 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The range of explosive mixtures of a fuel vapor and air vary over an appreciableratio, gasoline and air for example having alatitude of substantially thirty percent in the ratio of air to gasoline. Within those explosive limits, each ratio of air to fuel has different, characteristics. For different conditions of engine operation, these differing characteristics are of valuefor power and economy. It is not sufficient merely'to dilute the fuel mixture, but it is desirable to also change the rate of fuel feed, which I do. At any given engine speed, the amount of vacuum in the intake manifold depends upon the amount of throttle opening, and therefore by admitting air between attained is illustrated. in the accompanying drawthe throttle and the cylinder I automatically change the amount of vacuum from that which would otherwise normally prevail, and by so doing I change the velocity of air past the fuel jet or jets and hence the rate of fuel feed.

While I have shown my device as a separate attachment to be used with any conventional carbureter, there is nothing to prevent me from incorporating such design in the carbureter itself if I choose to make the carbureter accordingly. Hence a carbureter built to incorporate my design would be within the scope and spirit of my invention. I

My invention differs from many preceding devices for controlling the auxiliary air by having one type of valve control the action and function of another type of valve, the final functioning being entirely different from either one alone.

:In the accompanying drawing the numeral 1-- denotes a, carbureter which may be of any approved. type common for use in connection with internal combustion engines, the numeral 8 denoting a manifold extending from the carbureter to the intake ports of an internal combustion en-e gine and 9 the exhaust tube for conducting products of combustion from such internal combustion engine. The carbureter is provided with the usual throttle valve I0, actuating arm II and throttle rod l2, all of which parts may be of any'well known construction andtherefore further and detailed description is omitted herein.

My invention contemplates an auxiliary supply of air to the fuel stream after it leaves the car-, bureter in its flow to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, my improved apparatus so controlling the flow of such auxiliary supply of air that it will be introduced to the fuel stream in proper quantities and at such times as will be most efiicient for the operation of the engine. As an instance, the supply of auxiliary air will be so controlled that it will not be admitted to the fuel stream until the engine has acquired a speed wherein such auxiliary supply Such apparatus in the particular form herein illustrated includes a diluting device comprising a case l3 having an inlet [4 at one end and an outlet l5 at its opposite end. The diluting valve l5 Within the case is loosely mounted on a rod I? projecting inwardly from one end of the case, a spring l8 seated against a collar on the rod operating to force the valve toward its seat in the case I3. Said rod is adjustably secured as by means of nuts I9 outside of the case which nuts are employed to regulate the tension of the spring, and the spring tension is such that it will permit the valve to open under suction created by vacuum in the engine, the tension of the spring being so graduated that the valve will be released only when the running conditions of'the engine are such as to advantageously make use of the auxiliary air supply.

The outlet i5 is connected by a tube 20 with the inlet of a metering device which, in the form herein shown, comprises a case 2| having its outlet connected as by a tube 22 with the manifold 8 and as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. A metering valve or pin 23 is located within the case 2| for the purpose of controlling flow of air from said case. This valve is preferably of the needle type, that is, one having a tapered end for controlling the port through which the air passes, although various types of valves may be employed, and the end need not necessarily be tapered but may be variously formed to suit any particular condition or meet any special requirement occasioned by running conditions in the engine. This valve is connected with the throttle rod I2 which controls the operation of the valve, and this may be effected in different ways.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the metering valve 23 is opened by spring pressure, and it is closed against tension of the spring by operation of the rod l 2, that is, said rod controls the openin movement by permitting operation of the spring, and said rod positively closes the valve against the tension of the spring. In order to provide for setting of the valve which may be varied to suit different running conditions a finger 24 which is secured to the rod l2 and projects for engagement with a collar 25 is seated against an adjusting screw 26 mounted in a support 21 secured to the rod I 2, said adjusting screw having any suitable means as a nut for fastening it in position.

a It is desirable that the valve 23 shall not begin to open the port which it controls until the throttle I0 has opened to a certain extent, this depending upon different conditions existing in the same or different makes of engines. To efiect this purpose I mount the valve 23'in a valve sleeve 28 slidably movable within the case 2| and adapted to carry the valve 23. For the purpose of adjusting the zone of movement of the valve an adjusting screw 29 projects through the collar 25 and into a groove in the valve 23, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the screw 29 uniting the sleeve and the valve together so that they will move as a unit at certain times.

A stop 33 is secured to the case 2| and projects in position to limit movement of the collar 25 and hence of the valve 23.

t is unnecessary and undesirable to introduce a supply of auxiliary air to the fuel stream when the engine is cold, as at such times a rich mixture produces better results, and to eifect this purpose I provide means whereby flow of the auxiliary supply will be prevented until the engine is properly heated to produce effective results from such supply. This result may be accomplished in different ways. As herein shown I p ov de ,3 Va

open the port leading into the tube 22.

3| of the butterfly type supported by a spindle 32 extended across the opening in the chamber in the case I3, said spindle having an arm with a pin 33 projecting therefrom into engagement with a thermostatic bar 34 supported by the case l3. This bar may be of any suitable construction well known by those skilled in the art and which under the required temperature will flex to move the valve 3| to a partially open or open position whereby air may flow from the case [3 into the case 2 l Quietness is a highly important feature, and from a general utility standpoint perhaps equally as important as eificiency. I attain substantially silent air admission by employing a type of Venturi air approach in combination with a poppet type valve. The cross-sectional area of the air passage gradually decreases as the air approaches the Valve seat, resulting in gradually increasing air velocity so that when the air passes the valve the velocity is sufficiently great to check the sound waves within the apparatus.

I accomplish this purpose by employing a mushroom shaped valve tapered to a smaller dimension toward the inlet, and the case I3 is also tapered as to the chamber therein and as shown in Fig. 1. This provides a sort of Venturi arrangement whereby the air as it approaches the valve to the point where it passes it will be reduced in area and the effect will be to eliminate hissing, whistling or other air noises.

My improved apparatus may be located in any convenient position with respect to the carburetor and the engine, as herein shown the diluting valve case [3 being suspended as by means of a strap 35 from the exhaust tube 9, the metering valve being supported by the tubes 2ll22. However, as above stated, this apparatus may be placed in any desired position, preferably where it may be under influence of heat from the motor and it may be supported in any desired manner.

In operation, assuming that the engine is at rest and the parts are in their normal inoperative positions, as shown in the drawing, the engine will be started in the usual manner. As the throttle rod I2 is moved toward the left to open the throttle for the purpose of increasing speed, the metering valve 23 will move toward the left under the influence of its spring, but the port controlled by the valve will not be opened until after the engine has gained the required speed determined by the adjustment of said valve. When this speed is reached in the opening movement of the throttle the end of the valve will gradually Should the required heat in the engine have not been reached for smooth running conditions the valve 3| will remain closed, and therefore the operation of the valve 23 will produce no results.

As soon as the engine has been heated sufficiently the thermostat 34 will operate the valve 3| to open it with a result that the air will flow through the diluting valve l6 and the metering valve 23 and be admitted to the manifold 8 for the purpose of diluting the fuel mixture.

For any given throttle opening, the amount of vacuum in the intake manifold depends upon the engine speed, and as the engine decreases its speed the vacuum in the manifold will correspondingly decrease, thereby reducing its influence upon the valve l6 and permitting the latter to close under the influence of the spring l8. Upon shifting the throttle rod [2 for the purpose of lessening the speed of the engine, the valve 23 will be shut off at any predetermined position. It must be understood that normally the vacuum is highest at idling and slow speeds, when the latter are determined by throttle opening and not by hard pulling, for the act of closing the'throttle and reducing the amount of air passage through the carburetor is what'determines the vacuum at any given speed. on the other hand, with any given throttle opening, as the engine speed decreases because of hard pulling, the vacuum decreases proportionately and the auxiliary air should be and is shut off by the action of the valve l6, as heretofore stated. An absolute shut-01f is not imperative, as slight admission would be negligible in effect, and it must be understood that when I use the words shut-off, stopped orany. word or phrase of similar meaning in connection with the flow of auxiliary air that this is merely a qualitative expression signifying a diminution of flow to a permissible amount rather than an absolute expression such as stopping an engine. The very types of valves I use indicate my meaning, for to anyone skilled in the art of machine shop practice it is evident thatthey must have operating clearances and hence would be absolute only with extreme difiiculty and tend toward leakage with wear. The permissible ratio of air to gasoline is so enormous that slight errors in air supply are immaterial.

This latter operation is a most desirable feature as when the engine installed in an automobile is running, should heavy duty be suddenly required of it, as by encountering. a steep grade or sand or mud, the throttle should remain open and the fuel mixture should be enriched to provide the necessary powerrequired.

Thus it will be seen that in such event the action is automatic to shut ofi the auxiliary supply of air and permit the engine to receive an enriched mixture.

The structure shown in Fig. 2 is quite similar to that just described with respect to Fig. 1 with the exception that the metering valve has 1ts inlet located inline with the outlet from the diluting valve. That is, the metering valve is reversed in its position and the throttle rod i2 is rigidly attached to the collar 25. The valve operating spring is also omitted as the rod I2 is made use of in operating the metering valve in both directions. i

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 the positions of the diluting and metering valves have been reversed so that the diluting valve delivers the auxiliary air directly to the manifold 8 The metering valve in this arrangement is closed by a tension spring 35, instead of being opened by a spring as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. The throttle rod I2 acts to positively open the valve and to govern its closing movement under the force of the spring 36. In this arrangement the throttle rod is connected with the valve by means of a wire 31 passing through a finger 33 secured to the rod and having an adjusting nut 39 threaded on to the wire as a means for regulating the tension of the spring; In thisarrangement the inlet to the diluting valve has been placed on the bottom instead of on the top' of the case to meet the conditions, the pipe connection 40 being'also shaped to meet the requirements.

In this arangement an inlet tube ll extends from a position close to theflmanifold 8 into the case 2| whereby a certain degree of heat is imparted to the auxiliary air supply for beneficial effect upon the fluid mixture. I

The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 isv similar to that shown in Fig. 3, the valve and casing 13 being omitted from the drawing for'lack of space. The metering valve 23 however is opened by a spring under control of the throttlev rod 12, as shown in Fig. 1, instead vof being closed by said spring, as shown in Fig. 3. In the arrangement of Fig. 4 a thermostat 42 projects from and has a bent end to engage the collar 25 to hold the valve closed until released by said thermostat. It will be noted that in this instance the thermostat is. mounted on the metering'valve casing instead of on the diluting valve casing as in Fig. 1.

In the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the thermostat is shown as located within the valve casing l3, the valve 43 being secured to the valve rod 44 which is operatively slidably mounted in the case instead of being stationary as in Fig. 1. The valve closing spring 45 is located on the rod outside of the case. A thermostat 46 of a well known construction readily understood by those skilled in the art is located within the chamber in the case, the members of said thermostat being expanded or curved when cold and contracting or straightening under heat conditions to allow the valve 43 to open under themfluence of vacuum within the manifold, the valve thus acting automatically whenever permitted so to do by the thermostat. The showing of the bends in the thermostat members is somewhat exaggerated in order to bring out the manner of operation. In this form of the device a cover closes the end of the case and fingers 48 pro- Ject inwardly from the cover through notches in the thermostat members'to form guides therefor, and as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

The operation of the device shown in Figs. 2 to 6 is substantially the same as that hereinbefore described and will be readily understood without further explanation herein.

I have illustrated and described my improved diluting apparatus herein for use in connection with internal combustion engines in which a vacuum exists in the intake manifold, but such ape paratus may be readily applied to an internal combustion engine equipped with a supercharger or equivalent device in which by suitable piping connections a pressure condition is produced in themanifold of the engine. In both instances the valve is is opened by a diiference of air pressure on opposite sides thereof, in the one instance the pressure being reduced on the inside of the valve below atmospheric pressure and in the other instance the pressure being increased above atmospheric pressure on the outside of said valve. The spring [8 will control theoperation in either instance, such spring'acting to pre-load the valve to prevent its opening until the required diiierence in pressures on opposite sides of the valve is obtained.

My improved device illustrated and described herein contemplates the admission of auxiliary air to the fuel mixture, which .includes the combustible material suitably mixed with air, at any point between the engine cylinder and the carbureter and at any point where it will not pick up the combustible material but will dilute the mixture. i

To demonstrate, all of the air carries a small a proportion of combustibles and there is therefore making this explanation in order that there may be a clear understanding as to my meaning.

It will therefore be understood that while I have shown my improved device as connected directly to the manifold of an internal combustion engine I do not intend my invention to be limited to such construction and contemplate its.

connection to any part where it will be admitted to the explosion chamber together with such other accessories as may be required for the purpose of such a connection.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the device which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out.

I claim:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine including a carburetor and a throttle therefor, means for admitting auxiliary combustion air between the throttle and the cylinder of the engine, said means comprising a preloaded valve actuated by relative diiference of fluid pressure on opposite sides thereof, thermostatically influenced means to control flow of air past said preloaded valve, and a valve motivated synchronously with the throttle to regulate the flow of said auxiliary air according to throttle opening.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine including a carburetor and a throttle therefor, means for admitting and regulating auxiliary combustion air, said means comprising a valve arranged to open and close in conjunction with the carburetor control, a valve actuated by variations in fluid pressure between the throttle and the engine cylinder to completely control the flow of air past the first mentioned valve according to said fluid pressure, and thermostatically influenced means operating upon one of said valves to control flow of air past said pressure operated valve.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine and means for supplying said engine with a mixture of air and fuel, a device for supplying auxiliary combustion air to said mixture comprising a valve operated relative to the speed controlling mechanism of said engine, means for delaying opening of said valve until after a predetermined extent of movement of said speed controlling mechanism, said valve tending to stop the flow of auxiliary air as the fuel mixture supply decreases and to increase the flow of auxiliary air as the fuel mixture supply increases, said valve comprising an adjustable regulating device for close adjustment of the auxiliary air according to the rate of fuel mixture supply and the specific fuel mixture of the specific engine to which the device is applied to give eflicient oper ation of said engine.

l. In combination with an internal combustion engine and means for supplying said engine with a mixture of air and fuel, a device for supplying auxiliary combustion air to said mixture comprising a valve operated relative to the speed controlling mechanism of said engine, means for delaying opening of said valve until after a predetermined extent of movement of said speed controlling mechanism, said valve tending to stop the flow of auxiliary air as the fuel mixture supply decreases and to increase the flow of auxiliary air as the fuel mixture supply increases, said valve comprising an adjustable regulating device for close adjustment of the auxiliary air according to the rate of fuel mixture supply and the specific fuel mixture of the specific engine to which the device is applied to give eiiicient operation of said engine, and a pro-loaded valve for controlling the air flow through the positively operated valve according to variations in absolute pressure of said fuel mixture.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine and means for supplying said engine with a mixture of air and fuel and a throttle for regulating said supply, a device for supplying auxiliarycombustion air to said mixture comprising a valve operated relative to saidthrottle control, said valve having means to delay its opening until after a predetermined extent of movement of said throttle control and tending to stop the flow of auxiliary air as the throttle moves toward a closed position and to increase the flow of auxiliary air as the throttle opens, and a pro-loaded valve for controlling the entire air flow through the positively operated valve according to variations in absolute pressure of the fuel mixture.

6. In combination with an internal combustion engine and means for supplying said engine with a mixture of air and fuel, a device for supplying auxiliary combustion air to said mixture comprising a valve operated by variations in absolute pressure of said fuel mixture, the air inlet of said valve being formed to cause gradual increase in the velocity of the entering air as it approaches the valve seat and means controlled by a speed regulating member for controlling the effects of said valve in supplying said auxiliary air.

'7. In combination with an internal combustion engine including a carbureter therefor and an intake manifold, a connection for supply of auxiliary combustion air to said engine, a metering valve and a diluting valve forming a part of said connection, means for positively operating said metering valve, means for permitting operation of said diluting valve as an effect of vacuum in said manifold, and a thermostatic control constructed to retard said diluting valve from functioning'until a predetermined engine operating temperature is reached.

8. In combination with an internal combustion engine including a carbureter therefor and an intake manifold, a connection for supply of auxiliary combustion air to said manifold, a valve case located in said connection, a valve located in said case to receive pressure of said air and thereby to partially control flow of air therethrough, yielding means to resist movement of said valve, and a thermostatically operated element supported by said valve case and effected to retard said valve from functioning movement until a predetermined engine operating temperature is reached.

9. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve for regulating the engine speed and a device for providing a mixture of air and fuel to said engine, means for increasing the ratio of air to fuel by the addition of auxiliary air to said mixture, said means comprising a valve'mechanically operated in conjunction with said throttle valve to open or to impede a passageway for the auxiliary air between desired limits, means for delaying opening movement of said valve until a predetermined extent of movement of said throttle valve, a

yieldingly pre-loaded valve functioning by the difference between absolute air pressure on opposite sides thereof as balanced against the amount of pre-loading to restrict the flow of auxiliary air when the engine speed falls below a desired rate at any throttle opening, and suitable air flow connections for auxiliary air to pass in sequence through the mechanically operated valve and the pre-loaded valve and thence into the fuel mixture.

10. In combination with an internal combustion engine having an air fuel mixing device and a valve for varying the engine speed, means for increasing the air to fuel ratio by the admission of auxiliary air to the fuel mixture, said means comprising a mechanically operated valve adapted to open or to restrict the auxiliary air passage to any desired amount substantially in synchronism with the opening and closing of the valve for varying the engine speed, a yieldingly pre-loadedvalve tending to open by the air pressure on the entering side thereof to impede the flow of air through the mechanically operated valve as determined by the amount of the preloading, suitable air flow connections for said mechanism, and a thermostatic device tending to retard the pro-loaded valve from functioning for a cold engine and until the engine is warm.

11. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve for regulating the engine speed and a device for providing a mixture of air and fuel to said engine, means for increasing the ratio of air to fuel by the addition of auxiliary air to said mixture, said means comprising a controlling valve operated in conjunction with said throttle valve to control a passageway for said auxiliary air, a yieldingly pro-loaded valve functioning by the difference between absolute air pressure on opposite sides thereof as balanced against the amount of pre-loading to restrict the flow of said auxiliary air when the engine speed falls below a desired rate at any throttle opening, suitable air flow connections for the supply of said auxiliary air to pass through said controlling valve and the pre-loaded valve and thence into the fuel mixture, and a thermostatic device tending to retard the preloaded valve from functioning for a cold engine and until the engine is warm.

12. In combination with an internal combustion engine including means forsupplying a fuel mixture to said engine and a throttle operating device for controlling supply of said fuel mixture, means for supplying auxiliary combustion air to said fuel mixture and including an air passage having a pre-loaded valve therein, means for retarding said valve from functioning until a predetermined temperature is reached, a valve in said connection for controlling volumetrically the supply of air to said fuel mixture, and means connected with said throttle operating device for controlling'the operation of said last mentioned valve.

13. In combination with an internal combustion engine including means for supplying a fuel mixture'to said engine, throttle operating mechanism for controlling said supply, means for supplying auxiliary combustion air to said fuel mixture and including an air passage, a pre-loaded valve located in said passage and adapted to open by excess pressure from the outside, a controlling valve located in said passage to prevent opening of said pre-loaded valve under certain conditions, thermostatic means for positively actuating said controlling valve, a metering valve located in said passage for controlling the supply of auxiliary air theretl-lrough, and a connection between said metering valve and said throttle operating mechanism to control the movement of said metering valve.

LOUIS LANGHAAR. 

